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[color=F8CFF0][sub][i][b]The Supreme Commander's exquisite library[/b][/i][/sub][/color]
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[color=F8CFF0]𝓣he festivities had been going on for quite some time when Captain Kingsford decided that it was time.

𝓣he musicians struck up a particularly lively tune in the ballroom. Meanwhile, the captain strode towards a secluded corner near the stairs, while Lady Imperia-Airwright made her way to the door in a similar fashion, examining the door frame-damaged by the ever-so-lovely Lady LaVerre, she knew-before she deliberately pushed the beautifully polished mahogany door shut, jamming it against the warped area of the door frame. She tested it once, twice. It held.

𝓟rofessor Grey had rounded up the rest of the stragglers. As far as Adrianna knew, Rowena had not disclosed a single word of their plans to the professor, but Adrianna knew that Alyssana was most definitely perceptive enough to take notice. In any case, Adrianna gave her a slight nod of thanks. It was only polite, after all.

𝓣he captain glanced at Rowena, who was standing, as poised as ever, near the back of the assembled group. Adrianna knew that she was keeping an eye on the door, both with her eyes and with her mind, as agreed upon in advance. Unless there was a perpetrator in the form of an automaton or mechanical doll (as in Arsenio's case), nobody would be able to enter the room undetected. Adrianna was, all at once, immensely grateful for Rowena's ability. Of course, it could be [i]quite[/i] irritating at times, but it certainly had its uses. At any rate, the captain preferred it to be used at her behest, rather than against her.

𝓞nce a hush had fallen over the room, Captain Kingsford cleared her throat slightly and began to speak. "First of all," she said, her voice calm, cool, collected, "I would like to say that I am extremely grateful for your continued interest in this...matter."

𝓐drianna resisted the urge to glance at Lady Imperia-Airwright. Words had always come far more easily to her friend than to the captain herself.

𝓒aptain Kingsford knew how Rowena would have gone about this; she would have talked in riddles, all vague insinuations and enigmatic looks, leaving the other party to figure out the details for themselves, partly because that was just her [i]nature[/i], and partly because she was very, very careful. Adrianna, however, trusted that the lady was paying the door her due vigilance, and cut straight to the point. She had neither the time nor the patience to bandy about words all day, the way that Rowena did.

"𝓣he reason you are all here today is because the Council has ordered the arrest of a certain alumnus of the Polytechnique Institute. Some of you may be familiar with the individual in question. He has been charged with illegal and unethical experimentation. Which, as you must know, is not unusual among the graduates of the esteemed Institute. Nothing, I believe, is illegal unless you are caught. Is that not how the honorable Headmaster operates?"

𝓐drianna let her steady brown gaze flit over the assembled persons briefly before continuing. "This particular scientist's experiments involved Myalo and automation. I have been told that he was on the brink of success when the Council caught a wind of his actions and ordered the Supreme Commander to immediately arrest him. All his work was confiscated. He is currently being held in a secure facility, the location of which I have not been informed of."

𝓢he paused, gauging the reactions of the people in the library. "The scientist in question is named Mr. Lucius Elliot. He was good friends with one Victor Bennett, who I believe some of you in this room are quite familiar with." [i]Ms. Vernell especially,[/i] Adrianna recalled. According to Rowena, anyway.

"𝓣he Supreme Commander wishes that we investigate this matter. The Council has not been involved with anything besides Mr. Elliot's arrest, but there are certain loose ends that are not tying up as neatly as they should be." The captain lifted her chin slightly in Rowena's direction. "Lady Imperia-Airwright and I have chosen every single one of you for a specific reason. We would deeply appreciate your continued cooperation, although if any of you would like to withdraw your interest in this matter for whatever reason, we urge you to do so within the next twenty-four hours. After that, I have probable reason to believe that extricating yourself from this situation will be considerably more...difficult."

𝓐t this point, Lady Imperia-Airwright stepped forward, smiling sweetly. Her eyes, however, were as sharp as ever. "Indeed. Thank you, Captain Kingsford," she said, inclining her head in Adrianna's direction. "As the honorable captain has said, we would [i]deeply[/i] appreciate your continued cooperation. A single misremembered word could put all of our lives at jeopardy, so we urge...caution, one could say." Something shifted in her expression, then; the sweet smile was still there, but Rowena had drawn her lips back so that more of her pearly-white teeth were exposed. There was something undeniably predatory about the smile, about the unreadable gleam in her warm brown eyes-but it was gone just as quickly as it had come, and Adrianna could not help but to feel a certain fondness for her friend from finishing school. Time changed many things, but it had not Rowena's ability to be beyond terrifying when she felt like it, it seemed. That, combined with her family's reputation, usually could dissuade some people from doing things that they would later come to regret.

"𝓣he first matter we would like to address," said Adrianna, watching the attention shift back to her as Lady Imperia-Airwright subtly stepped back once more, "is the murder of a man named Gabriel Overton. He was thirty-one years of age when he was found decapitated in his laboratory three months ago. The laboratory in question had been ransacked, and everything of value was missing. We presumed that the missing items were stolen by the same people who killed Mr. Overton."

"𝓕or those of you who are unfamiliar with the man in question, Mr. Overton also attended the Polytechnique Institute. He and Mr. Bennett were instrumental in the recent modifications to mechanical wings, although the two did not collaborate on any other projects." Adrianna paused, letting the information sink in. "At the time of his death, we discovered plans for mechanical birds hidden in his chambers. The details of this endeavor, however, were missing. I have reason to believe that Mr. Overton was attempting to create mechanical birds the way that the scientists of the Wasteland Cities created human automatons-that is, extract Myalo from a source, namely the brain, and then combine it with a metal frame or body."

𝓒aptain Kingsford exhaled slowly before continuing. "I also have reason to believe Mr. Overton was heavily involved with various smuggling operations in order to obtain the necessary tools to perform such a...procedure. Most of which, I will add, have been outlawed since the conclusion of the Wasteland Wars. Anyway, Lady Imperia-Airwright and I strongly suspect that the perpetrators of this crime was Mr. Elliot himself, with any allies that he may have acquired. The Supreme Commander and the Council, however, refuse to accept this claim without evidence to substantiate it. So the first matter of business is examining the extent of the connection between Mr. Overton's murder and Mr. Elliot's scientific work."

𝓛ady Imperia-Airwright coughed softly to get everybody's attention. "The captain and I extend our sincerest apologies for imparting such a volume of information all at once," she started, "but now that you at least have an idea of what we are up against, I must stress the importance of discretion. For that reason, we ask that you do not attempt to become too closely acquainted with the other individuals in this room." She paused delicately, and Adrianna could see how much it pained her to be this...[i]direct[/i]. "These are only precautions, of course, but all the same, it would be very much appreciated, in case something untoward transpires. Additionally, we ask that every person come up with an alias or a pseudonym that we may use to refer to you in any written correspondence. We also ask that you do not try to record one another's selected aliases in any way, shape, or form. If, in the future, you are unable to recall somebody's alias, I would be happy to extend to you an invitation to afternoon tea." She flashed them a winning smile.

"𝓨es, thank you, Lady Imperia-Airwright," said Adrianna. "In order to keep the aliases as innocuous as possible, we have decided that each one should be either a food or a drink, or an article of clothing. Exceptions, of course, can be made, so long as the alias is appropriately discreet. Henceforth, I will sign my letters to you all as 'Gunpowder Tea'. Lady Imperia-Airwright has chosen 'Ruffled Parasol'. We would very much appreciate it if you could take a moment to think it over and then inform Lady Imperia-Airwright and I, as well as the others, what you have chosen for yourself. I am sure that some of you will have questions as well; feel free to voice them now. Thank you very much."

𝓗ushed murmurs rippled through the library as Adrianna took a step back. The captain glanced at Rowena, who did not acknowledge the look. Good. All was well in terms of the door.

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